Electrical speed-indicator.



PATENTED MAR. 20, 1906.

R. ANDERSON. ELECTRICAL SPEED INDICATOR.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB. 16. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

511 mantel No. 815,778. PATENTED MAR. 20, 1906. R. ANDERSON. ELECTRIOAL SPEED INDICATOR.

APPLIOA'IYION FILED FEB. 16. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

511 wontoz wmmm I ROBERT ANDERSON, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO. ELECTRICAL SPEED-INDICATOR- Specification of Letters Patent.

ratented March 20, 1906.

Application filed February 16,1905. Serial No. 245,836.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT ANDERSON, a cltize n of the United States of America, and a .resident of Cincinnati, county of Hamilton, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Speed- Indicators', of which the following is a specification. p I

The object of my invention is a speed-indicator which will indicate either to the sight or to the hearing the rate of revolution of a shaft at any time, which is simple and economical in construction, and which may be readily thrown in or out of operation at any moment. This object is attained by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

Figure -1 is a diagrammatical view of a my invention, rate of revoluview showing the inapplied to automobiles.

tion. Fig. 2 is a detail vention in a form Fig. 3 is a detail view of the device shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a modified form of construction for the shaft of the seconds-hand of the clock. Fig. 5' is K a diagrammatical view of my speed-indicator in the form which indicates the rate of s eed to the sight. Fig. 6 is a detail view of tlib lever carrying the pushbutton and the lever carrying the contact- PlIlS.

Referring to Fig. 1, adjacent shaft A, the speed of whose rotation is to be ascertained, is located a metal spring I), which is to be contacted by astud a,'projectingfrom the'side ofv the shaft to bring the spring into contact with the post I). Spring 1) is electrically connected by a wire b with three contact-plates c 0 c located upon the face of a clock adjacent the seconds-hand O. The contact-pieces are all ,of the same size and are equidistant from;

each other. In the presentinstance each is sixtydegrees in lengt Seconds-hand C carries'a wire whose outer end 0 travels over the lated by means of a switch 1) contact-plates c c c as the hand revolves. Post I) is electrically connected by wires 1) b 'with one of the poles d of the battery D. The

communication between wires 6 b is regu- The other pole d is connected, b'y means of a wire (Z with an electrical button or buzzer E, from the opposite side of which a wire e is connect ed with a spindle c of the seconds-hand C.

In operation when spring I; is held in contact with the post I) by the stud a and the wires 6 b are connected by the switch I) and sound. The switch If .that the circuit from the battery, D is complete and that the bell or buzzer E will ring.

When the stud a releases the spring I), it will break the circuit and the buzzer will cease to remaining in a position to contact wires b b, as long as wire 0 is contactin one of the plates 0, c, or c the buzzer wi 1 sound every time the spring I) is contacted by the stud a-that is, at every revolution of the shaft. As soon as the spring 0 ceases to contact the contact-plates c, c, or c the circuit is broken there and the buzzer will not sound when the stud a contacts the spring I). The seconds-hand taking a predetermined timesay ten seconds-to pass over one of the contact-plates c, c, or 0 the number of times the buzzer sounds indicates the number of revolutions made by the shaft A during that period, thus indicatin by sound the rate of revolution of the sha t. Any time the operator desires, therefore, to ascertain the rate at which the shaft A is revolving he has only to throw the switch 12 into contact with wires 6 b and after he has ascertained the fact to place the indicator out of use he has simply to throw the switch out again.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated a form of indicator for use with automobiles. The battery D, clock C, and bell E are mounted in a case F, which may be secured to the dashboard of the vehicle. In place of the switch If to connect the wires b b a push-button b may be used. Upon the hub A is a pin a, in the path of which a pinion b is mounted upon the shaft b mounted between lugs g '9, secured upon the axle G. -Upon the shaft 1) is located a disk B,- having arms 1) 12 at diametrically opposite sides. Located upon the axle G are contact-pieces b b", corresponding to the spring I) and the post I) in Fig. 1. The arms b b? when they contactthe spring I) complete the circuit and cause the buzzer to be sounded at every other revolution of the wheel. By changing the number of teeth upon the disk B the circuit may be made at every third or fourth revolution of the wheel. For instance, if the disk B had only-one tooth b then the contact would be made and the buzzer would sound every fourth revolution.

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The change in the numberof teeth of'thedisk B would be made for the purpose of simplifying the calculation of the speed of the automobile.

In the modification shown in Fig. I have the wire b to the spring I).

mounted four arms 0, 0 and 0 upon the s indle c of the seconds-hand, and in place of t e fixed contact-plate c c c I have placed a movable tapered contact-piece c", which 1s mounted in ways 0 c. This contact-piece is connected to the wire N. The length of time it takes for the contact-wires carried by the arms 0 c c and c to pass over the strip 0 may be regulated by the position of the strip-for instance, by raising itcin its ways the length of time may be diminished, and vice versa, so that the number of revolutions of the shaft per five seconds may be obtained, or per ten seconds, &c.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have illustrated a recorder for indicating the speed to the eye. The contact-plates c c c are connected by The hub A has a tootha to carry springb against the contactpiece I), and the seconds-hand C has a wire 0 to contact the plates 0, c, and 0 the same as described for Fig. 1. Contact-piece b is connected by a wire it with an electromagnet H, adjacent to which is mounted a lever h, carrying an armature h the upper end it of the lever standing adjacent to the peri hery of a record disk K, having notches Every time the tooth acarries spring b into contact with piece I) the current passes through and magnetizes the magnet H, attracts the armature h and carries the disk K forward one step. When the tooth a releases spring I),

' the magnetism in the magnet H dying out,

the lever h is carried back by the spring h to carry the arm if out of contact with the disk K and in positionto engage the next notch of the disk when the magnet H is again energized, the disk K being held in place by a spring-pawl k, fulcrumed at W, having anupwardly-projecting arm k and being held against the disk by a s ring k Thus the disk K will be carried forward as many notches as there are contacts made between I will now describe the means whereby the.

recording-disk K is carried back to its zero and c osition and the indicator is placed in circuit or taking the speed by the actuation of the hand-lever M. Lever M is pivoted at m and has a short arm m carrying a pawlm". At its opposite end lever M has a button m Upon the side of the lever M a pawl'm is mounted and is pressed outwardly by a coiled spring m Adjacent to lever M is an arm N, fulcrumed at n and bearing an armature 02. Arm N has three pins 11?, a and n at differ- .entheights, the pin n being out of vertical allnement with pins n and n Mounted adacent to arm N is an electromagnet O, which is connected by a wire 0 with narrow contactplates' 0', 0 and 0 located upon the face of the clock adjacent to the contact-plates c, c, Communicating with the magnet 0 is a contact-s ring 0, which stands adjacent to the path 0 the hand-lever M. Pivot m is connected by a wire 'm with a batter P, the other pole thereof being connected y wire 0 with the spindle ofthe seconds-hand O. Adjacent to the path of the hand-lever M is a contact-piece R, which is connected by wire 1 with the electromagnet I-I. When the pawl m engages the pin n lever M is in communication with contact-piece It, and the electromagnet H is then in circuit with the battery P.

I will now describe the operation of my indicatorl When he desires to ascertain the speed at which the hub A is rotating,the o erator pushes the hand-lever M down 'to t e position shown in Fig. 5. As soon as the seconds-hand C of the clock reaches one of the narrow contact-strips 0, 0 or o theelectromagnet 0 will be placed in circuitthr'ough the wire '0", wire 0, contact-piece 0 and wire m". This will energize the magnet, attract the armature, carry the pin n out of contact carry the hand-lever up against the pin a m will contact the pawl 7c, raising it out of contact with the disk K, whose spring k will then carry it around to its zero position. Spring is coiled about the shaft upon which disk K is journaled and engages a pin is upon will be brought into clrcuit as soon as the seconds-hand-C reaches the next contactplateas, for instance, c and the tooth a, of ,thehub. closes the switch b b. Thus every time 'the tooth a closes the switch the magnet H becomes energized, attracts the lever h, and moves the dial K through one step. The number of revolutions of the shaft A thus taking place while the seconds-hand is moved over one of the contactlatesc c, or c is recorded on the dial. 1 ave been assuming that the seconds-hand has just been traveling over the contact-plate 0?. As soon as it reaches the narrow contact-piece 0 magnet O is thrown into circuit, the armaturem is attracted, the pin n is carried out of contact with the pawl m and the hand-lever M is carried upward out of contact with the contact-pieces 0 and R, as indicated iii dotted line the indicator being then out of use.

What 1 claim is- 1. In a speed-indicator for rotating shafts the combination of an electrical circuit, a switch adapted to be actuated by the rotation of the shaft to make and break the cir- In this position of the hand-lever the pawl M then contacting the piece R, the magnet H with the pawl m", and the spring m will then said disk. As soon as the seconds-hand leaves roo cuit by the revolution thereof, an indicator in the circuit to register each time it is completed, a chronometer with a moving hand inter osed in the circuit, one end of the circuit broken by the chronometer being connected to the hand thereof and a contactpiece in the ath of the hand and connected to the other broken end of the circuit.

2. In a speed-indicator for rotating shafts the combination of an electrical circuit, a switch adapted to be actuated by the rotation of the shaft to make and break the circuit by the revolution thereof, an indicator in the circuit to re ister each time the circuit is plompleted, a c onometer with a moving nected to the hand thereof, a contact-piece in the path of the hand connected to the other broken end of the circuit, and a switch for making and breaking the circuit adapted to be actuated by the operator.

3 Inaspeed-indicator for rotating shafts the combination of an electrical circuit, a switch adapted to be actuated by the rotatlon of the shaft to make and break the circuit by each revolution thereof, an indicator switch interposed in the circuit, one end of the, circuit broken by the chronometer being conthe hand and connected to the other broken end of the circuit.

4. In a speed-indicator forrotating shafts the combination of an electrical circuit, a

switch ada ted to be opened and closed by the revolution of the shaft, a bell interposed in the circuit, a chronometer with a moving hand interposed in the circuit,'one of the broken ends of the circuit being coupled to the hand of the chronometer and a contactpiece in the path of the hand and connected to the other broken end of the circuit and a to be operated by the operator to make and break the circuit.

5. In a speed-indicator for a revolving shaft the combination of an electrical circuit, a switch consisting of a post and a spring standing normally out of contact with the post inter osed in the circuit, a tooth upon the shaft f with the post, a chronometer with a moving hand interposed in the circuit, one end'of the broken circuit being connected to the hand of the chronometer, a contact-piece in the ath of the hand connected to the other roken end of the .ccircuit, and an indicator. for indicating each time the. circuit is completed. c

ROBERT ANDERSON. Witnesses:

WALTER F. MURRAY AGNES McCoRMAoK.

or carrying the spring into contact 

